Bed Bugs
by MaliceUnchained
Summary: A small disaster, some youthful diplomacy and a lot of dwelling on thoughts of people leads to some interesting revelations. A short ladybug series. rated T for occasional swearing.
1. Diplomacy rules

**A/N: You lucky people, you get two fics for the price of one today! This one is intended to be a short series, second part will follow next week. Maybe today, depending on how my other projects go.**

 **As always, I don't own these characters, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, may he rest in peace. And as always, many thanks to Linira for talking ideas through with me and the constant votes of confidence.**

* * *

 **Diplomacy rules**

It had to happen eventually.

Being suspended with little more than a few ropes and a lot of wishful thinking, Ruby's bed finally lost it's fight against gravity and crashed down on top of Weiss, killing her instantly.

Or at least, it would have done, had the team not been in classes at the time.

The members of Team RWBY returned to their dorm to a scene of focussed devastation. Ruby's bed now sat upon the ruin that had once been Weiss' bed, its accompanying ropes hanging limply over the sides, and the sheet draped over the whole mess like a cloth over a corpse.

To state that Weiss was angry would be like stating a Death Stalker is not too friendly.

" _Ruby Rose!_ " the heiress shrieked, and the smaller girl moved behind Yang.

"I-I'm _really_ sorry, Weiss," Ruby offered quietly, feeling too much like it was her first day at Beacon all over again.

"I _told_ you that was a bad idea, I _told_ you that was dangerous, but did you listen?! Of course not!" Weiss continued, her shrill voice carrying out into the corridor.

"Weiss, it was an accident," Yang told her, trying to diffuse the situation. "Let's just get this out the way and figure out what to do."

"No!" Weiss snapped. "I don't see why I should be made to suffer for your sister's foolish plans!"

"Weiss, I-" Ruby attempted, to no avail.

"What are you talking about? What are you suffering, exactly?"

"I'm talking about the total destruction of my bed!" Weiss stated sharply, using the same tone she would use on a particularly simple child. "As I am the injured party in this incident, and seeing how Ruby's _death trap_ has miraculously escaped destruction, I am claiming Ruby's bed as compensation." She crossed her arms and stared defiantly at the other three, silently daring them to challenge her statement.

A challenge which Yang automatically took, leaping to her sister's defence as always.

"Now hold on, that isn't fair!"

"Oh? And what do you think _would_ be fair, me sleeping on the floor?"

"No, you can share with one of us!"

"Um, guys, it's-"

"Oh sure, _that_ sounds appealing, sharing with you and your snoring or Ruby and her fidgeting! And it would be unfair to force Blake to share with someone else when-"

A shrill whistle blast echoed around the room, cutting everyone off mid-argument.

"As I was trying to say," Ruby told Weiss and Yang in the following silence, "it's fine. It's my fault, so I'll give up my bed to Weiss."

"Thank you Ruby," Weiss replied haughtily, but Yang was still adamant.

"No, Ruby this isn't fair on you! Why should you-"

"Yang, I've made my decision," Ruby told her, sounding far more mature than her age would suggest. "Weiss can take my bed, and I'll...sleep on the floor, or something..."

"No, you can share with me," Yang announced cheerfully, until Blake spoke up.

"That's not such a good idea, Yang," the faunus said, "considering you really do snore quite loudly. I'd be surprised if Ruby got _any_ sleep next to you."

"Well she can't sleep on the floor, I won't have it."

"Guys, seriously, I don't mind, it'll be-"

"She can share with me."

Everyone stared at Blake, slightly incredulous. It was a well-known fact that the raven-haired faunus loved her personal space, and to willingly allow someone to violate that space - during sleep, no less - was a significant move for her.

"Blake, are you sure? You don't have to, honestly..."

"It's fine," she said, smiling at her diminutive leader. "It's not like you take up a lot of space."

With the sleeping arrangements finally sorted out, they set about removing Ruby's bed - now Weiss' - from the broken wreck that had lain under it, which they broke down further and crammed into a corner. The rest of the day continued much as normal, albeit with Weiss and Yang barely speaking to each other and Ruby too embarrassed to speak to Weiss. By the time they were all ready to sleep there was an awkward tension in the room, and Ruby couldn't help but feel like it was her fault.

Once everyone else was finally in bed, Ruby asked Blake if she was sure it was okay to share with her, still slightly embarrassed at the fact that it was necessary at all.

By way of response, Blake simply shuffled back against the wall, allowing the younger girl space to get into bed.

It was clear that she still felt awkward - Ruby stayed as far away from Blake as she could manage, trying to give the faunus the space she enjoyed so much, leaving herself balanced precariously on the edge of the bed. She squeaked in surprise as Blake put an arm around he middle and pulled her closer, resisting out of respect for her friend.

"Ruby, you won't get any sleep if you're worried about falling. Move closer."

"But-"

"I don't mind, honestly. I offered, remember? Now move closer before you fall."

After some hesitation, Ruby finally shuffled back against the taller girl, whose arm curled protectively around her middle. For a few minutes, she thought that Blake had gone to sleep already, until she spoke quietly to Ruby.

"I think that was very mature, what you did. Very diplomatic."

Ruby shrugged.

"Well, it _was_ kinda my fault. And I just wanted them to stop arguing, y'know?"

Blake nodded, and moved her hand to stroke Ruby's arm reassuringly.

"Yeah, I know. Get some sleep now, we'll ask for a replacement bed in the morning."

"Okay," Ruby replied, sounding more cheerful than she had since the incident. "Good night Blake."

"Good night, Ruby."

"And Blake?"

"Mm?"

"Thanks again."

* * *

Blake was still awake by the time Ruby had finally drifted off, her mind distracted by the day's events. Well, maybe not the day's events, she thought idly, more like Ruby's role in them. She had shown great maturity in how she handled both Yang and Weiss, taking responsibility for the incident and putting an end to an argument which was causing friction.

Then she thought beyond that, how Ruby had grown as a leader over the past few months. Sure, she was still bouncy, immature and cheerful outside of a fight, but as soon as their lives were on the line she became more serious.

That wasn't to say she was _completely_ serious. She seemed to derive some satisfaction from defeating their enemies, and Blake was certain that many of the younger girl's flourishes with Crescent Rose were completely unnecessary. But she was also so _fearless,_ Blake thought, always putting her team before herself and not caring for her own safety.

Now that she came to think about it, Blake realised there was a lot she admired about Ruby. Her boundless optimism, something Blake's life had quickly stripped away, was infectious. She was a willing friend to all around her, as she demonstrated the day they met Penny...and when Blake herself had run away from her revelation.

Blake still hated herself for that, but she had found out that Ruby had been the first one to suggest looking for her. Not to demand answers, not to turn her in, but because Ruby consider her a friend first and a team-mate a close second. Blake wasn't sure if the fact that she was a faunus even registered for Ruby.

Oh, wait. That night at the docks...she had said her ears were 'cute.' Blake blushed a little at that thought. She'd been called many things for being a faunus. 'Cute' had never been one of them until she had met Ruby.

Blake closed her eyes, letting that thought play through her head. 'Cute.' She didn't think she'd ever get used to that. She held Ruby a little tighter, unconsciously nuzzling into the younger girl's hair. Blake loved Ruby's smell. She always seemed to smell of strawberries.

As she herself finally began to fall asleep, she started to wonder exactly when she had developed a pretty severe crush on her tiny leader.

That could be a problem, but at that point in time Blake decide it was a problem that could wait until morning. Right now, she was blissfully content, and she wanted to relish that feeling.


	2. Revelations FTW

**A/N: Wow. Just wow. The response on this story has been amazing, so thank you SO much to all of you who have read, reviewed, followed and/or favourited this story. It means a hell of a lot to me, and it is just amazing and inspiring. I hope this second chapter is worthy of your appreciation.**

 **Thanks again to Linira for ideas and advice. RWBY and its associated characters are not my property, they belong to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

It was turning out to be a difficult day for Blake.

It had started being difficult from the moment she woke up, with the startling revelation that she truly did have more-than-platonic feelings for her friend and leader, Ruby. Being something of a stranger to romance, Blake realised she needed to talk to someone about how she felt and what she should do next, and that was where the additional difficulties had set in.

Her first thought was to talk to Ruby about it, but that had two downsides: firstly, that doing so might scare her away or otherwise ruin one of the closest friendships Blake had known in recent years, and secondly Ruby had set off earlier that morning, for an impromptu shopping trip in Vale with Pyrrha ad Nora.

She then thought of Yang. After all, Yang was her team-mate and partner, so she should be the ideal one to talk to about things. However, Yang's defensiveness about Ruby was legendary, and confessing to having romantic feelings for her sister was probably a quick route to an early grave.

Weiss, then. Surely the team's most level-headed and straight-thinking member would be the perfect person to talk to? Well, yes, except that she was also still engaged in a long-running argument with Yang, concerning the events of the night before.

Since the ladies of team JNPR were absent, perhaps the men could help? She immediately quashed that thought - Ren was too quiet to offer sound advice, and Jaune was...well, Jaune.

Team CFVY were away. Sun and Neptune weren't serious enough. Profess- _Doctor_ Oobleck and Professor Port were teaching, and likely unhelpful. And she didn't feel it was important enough to bother Ozpin. With no-one to talk to about her feelings, she resigned herself to walking around Beacon, the knot in her stomach making it difficult to eat or relax.

When she had resigned herself to spending the entire day in emotional turmoil, someone found _her_ quite by accident, someone who Blake respected and yet hadn't even thought of.

"Miss Belladonna? What's wrong?"

"Hm?" Blake looked up from the book she had found in the library, so lost in thought se hadn't noticed Professor Goodwitch approach. "Oh, it's...it's nothing much. Thank you."

"Blake, I have been around long enough to know when one of our students is troubled, and we aren't here just to teach - we're here to advise as well. Please, tell me what's wrong."

Blake heaved a heavy sigh, feeling like some of the emotional burden went with it as she closed the book. She had only been staring at it for the past half-hour anyway.

"It's...it's about Ruby." Glynda appeared concerned, probably assuming there was some animosity between them. _As if that was even possible,_ Blake thought with a weak smile. _That girl doesn't have a malicious bone in her body._

"Do I need to have a talk with her about something?" Glynda asked, her tone serious. She took mis-treatment of her students very seriously.

"N-no, it's nothing like that. I just...I think I have feelings for her."

Glynda seemed slightly taken aback by the sudden admission, and blinked in surprise.

"I...see. Well, you wouldn't be the first to have feelings for a team-mate. Would you prefer to discuss this private? I can have some tea brought to my office?"

Blake smiled for the first time since waking up, and nodded.

"Thank you, Professor. I would like that."

* * *

Meanwhile, the object of Blake's affections was having an enjoyable time in Vale, totally unaware of her team-mate's feelings.

"I've heard there's a new book shop that's opened nearby," Pyrrha told the two shorter girls. "I would like to see if they have any new combat manuals, if that's okay."

Ruby, ever the avid book-worm, loved the idea. Nora was less impressed.

"Aww, books?!" She wailed. "Can't we do something _fun_ instead?"

"Books can be fun too, Nora," Ruby told her sagely. "You just have to find the right one for you! Besides, I'd really like to see if they have anything Blake would like. Let's go!"

As Ruby walked ahead, Nora and Pyrrha exchanged a knowing look.

That had been the fourth time she had mentioned Blake in an hour and a half.

Three hours and several shops later, the girls had decided it was time to grab some food - or rather, Nora's stomach had growled so loudly Ruby had been ready for Beowolves to attack, so they decided to feed the short redhead.

Also, Nora and Pyrrha had felt they really needed to talk to Ruby about the one thing she hadn't kept quiet about - Blake.

In each shop they had entered, regardless of what Ruby herself had wanted to buy, her first question tended to be "what would Blake like?" When they were shopping for clothes, Ruby's choices were dictated by what Blake would like. She had bought some scented candles for Blake, a new book that "Blake would just _love,_ " and a necklace with a small silver 'B' on it.

The JNPR girls were just glad Ruby hadn't bought any new underwear. That conversation could have been awkward.

They'd finally settled on a small diner near the airship dock, with the intent of eating and then heading back to Beacon. After taking their seats and ordering with the waiter, Pyrrha decided to speak first.

"Ruby, I think we should all talk before we go back to Beacon."

Ruby was nonplussed. "O...kay, what about?"

"About you and Blake," Nora added immediately, her tone soft and sympathetic. "You haven't stopped talking about her since we got into Vale."

"Well yeah, she's my friend and she's really nice-"

"Ruby, every decision you made today was based on whether or not Blake would like it," Pyrrha stated. "Have you ever thought you might have feelings for her that go beyond friendship?"

Ruby's cheeks heated. This really wasn't a conversation she felt she should have with members of another team. She could barely have these talks with _Yang_ , but at least the girls of JNPR wouldn't constantly tease her about it.

"I...well, no, but..." her words trailed off as she thought about it. What _did_ she think of Blake? What was Blake to her? A friend, a faunus with the _cutest_ kitty ears she'd seen, skilled at combat, mysterious, beautiful and-

 _"_ Oh god, I think you're right," Ruby moaned, burying her face in her hands. _This is so embarrassing,_ she thought. _How can I tell Yang my first crush is another girl?_

The other two girls smiled at her, and Nora put an arm around hr shoulders.

"Don't worry, Rubes! You're friends already, right? So just ask her out!"

"But how?! I've never been on a date before, never mind _asking_ someone out on one!"

"It's easy," Pyrrha told her. "Just say, 'Blake, would you like to go out some time?' It doesn't have to be hard."

As their food was finally brought to them, Ruby sighed heavily.

"Look, we got some time before we get back to Beacon," Nora said, giving Ruby's shoulder a squeeze. "We'll work it out with you and you can ask her when we get back!"

Ruby simply nodded, terrified that if she asked Blake out and she refused it would ruin their friendship.

With a thousand different thoughts running through her head, Ruby ate in silence and hoped it would all be okay.

* * *

Blake was feeling better. Still apprehensive, even after her talk with Professor Goodwitch, but better.

Her advice was sound - talk to Yang, purely as a matter of respect, then just ask Ruby out. It was simple, and quite possibly the best way forwards.

Although, as she walked towards where Yang and Weiss were arguing - _again -_ it really didn't seem such a great idea to enrage the girl who punched an Atlesian Paladin into scrap.

Quite by luck, Yang had looked in her direction and her face had lit up, and she suddenly began walking towards her partner.

"Gotta go Weiss, we got plans but uh, great talk and we'll continue it never, okay see ya bye!" was all that Blake managed to pick up, followed by Weiss' shrill threat not to walk away from her.

"I know it seems she's pissed at me," Yang told her partner as they met at last, "but she _totally_ wants me."

Blake shook her head at the irrepressible fighter, then took a deep breath. _Just say it, Blake. Just say it._

"I want to be with Ruby." _Okay, maybe should have thought it through first_.

Yang's expression didn't seem to change. Blake was concerned that was a Bad Thing.

"Uh...wanna run that by me again?" she said.

"I meant that...I just, I have feelings for...for Ruby, and I know how protective you are of her, so I-I wanted to ask you..."

Thankfully, Yang finished the sentence for her. "You wanted to ask my permission to ask her out?"

Blake's throat suddenly betrayed her, and she merely nodded in response.

Of all the ways she thought Yang would react, the rib-crushing hug Blake received was probably the last on the list.

"Oh my god, that is so cute!" Yang exclaimed, finally letting her partner go. "You two would be so awesome together! Why would you need to ask?"

"Well, I...um..." Blake cleared her throat, took another breath and tried again. "I just wanted to ask, out of respect. I know you're very protective of her, and I wanted to make sure you had no problems with us...being together."

"Blake, seriously. You are _more_ than good enough for Ruby," Yang told her, putting a friendly arm around her. "I know you'll treat her right. You should-"

She was interrupted by a tone from her scroll, indicating a message. She pulled out the device and checked the display.

 _On way back to Beacon. Know where Blake is? R._

"Ruby is on her way back now," Yang said, typing a reply. "Go ask her out, you totally have my blessing." Yang grinned at Blake, and the faunus girl simply blushed slightly.

 _Wth me. You 2 shud talk ;) Y._

"C'mon Blake-y, we'll meet her at the dock," Yang said, taking her friend's arm. "You are doing this _today._ "

Blake was uncharacteristically nervous as the airship docked, so much so that Yang actually felt the need to hold on to the faunus girl's arm in case she ran off. She knew that the only way Blake would feel better would be if she actually asked Ruby out. Regardless of her sister's response, at least the matter would be sorted.

Of course, Yang secretly hoped that Ruby would agree. It would be good for her to have a relationship, and nobody would be better for her than Blake.

As soon as she caught sight of her sister she gave Blake a small push forwards, more as a prompt than anything else. "Go get 'er, kitty," she said with a grin, and Blake walked towards the girl who had occupied her thoughts all day.

* * *

"There she is, Ruby," Nora told the younger girl. "Just remember what we talked about, and you'll be fine."

 _Just be honest with her,_ Pyrrha had said. _Like I told Jaune, you_ _can't get it wrong if it's the truth._

 _And if she says no,_ Nora had told her, anticpating Ruby's question, _then you will still be friends. It'll hurt a while, but it won't hurt forever._

 _"_ Good luck Ruby!" Pyrrha said cheerfully, and gave the smaller girl a hug for support. Nora followed suit, then they both sent her to meet Blake.

The closer they got to each other, the more Ruby worried. She could hardly remember what she'd been told again, her mouth had gone dry and her heart was pounding so loud she was certain they could hear it in Vacuo. This was a new thing for her, and it was exciting and terrifying all at once.

"Hey Ruby."

Ruby looked up in surprise, unaware that she'd finally met up with Blake, having been lost in her reverie.

"Oh, um...h-hi Blake, I, um..." words suddenly seemed to fail her as she looked at Blake. Standing there as calm as always, one arm at her side and other crossed over her stomach, hand resting on her elbow. Her amber eyes seemed brighter than before, her black hair shining in the sunlight.

"I...um...I got you some things in Vale!" Ruby blurted out at last, instantly regretting it even as she thrust the bags towards Blake.

"Ruby, that's...that's really sweet of you," Blake said, blushing at the thought that Ruby had spent any money on her. Then, Blake decided to throw caution to the wind. You only live once, after all.

"Thing is...there's something I would much rather have," she told the shorter girl, resting a gentle hand on her cheek. Before Ruby could enquire further, Blake had lifted her head and kissed her. It was a soft, chaste kiss, a kiss that said what Blake wanted to say: _Be mine._

For a moment she was afraid she'd over-stepped the line, that she'd offended Ruby _and_ Yang by not asking if it was okay first. But then the smaller girl kissed back, her own hands wrapping around Blake as she pulled the faunus closer.

At length they parted from the kiss, and they simply stood at the dock in each other's arms, both of them blushing from the emotional surge.

"Would you like to go out some time?" Ruby managed, and Blake smiled into Ruby's hair.

"As long as it's just us, then yes."

Ruby squeezed Blake a little tighter, feeling happier than ever before.

Blake held Ruby close, still astounded how she had not only found acceptance at Beacon, but affection as well. She didn't know what the future had in store, but for once she didn't feel like she would face it alone.

* * *

 **Omake #1 - Well you started it**

"I know it seems she's pissed at me," Yang told her partner as they met at last, "but she _totally_ wants me."

Blake shook her head at the irrepressible fighter, then took a deep breath. _Just say it, Blake. Just say it._

"I want to be with Ruby."

Yang blinked in surprise.

"Daaaaang," she said after a moment.

"Um...shouldn't that be 'Yaaaaang'?" Blake offered.

"Shut up, Blake."

* * *

 **Omake #2 - You think I should do _what?!_**

"...so I've got no-one else to talk to about all this, and I figured you would be a good listener, so...what do you think I should do?"

Blake looked to the only person she could find who might listen to her. Typically, it ended up being some one who could do nothing _but_ listen.

The shorter girl shrugged, her multi-coloured hair shifting as she did. Then she made an 'O' shape with her right-hand thumb and forefinger, and moved her other forefinger in and out of the circle, before giving Blake a knowing wink.

"You think I should...um...what? I don't get what you're trying to suggest here."

Neo repeated the action, her expression becoming frustrated.

"Um...no, sorry, you've lost me."

Neo threw her hands up despairingly, and began making lewd motions with her hips, then pointing furiously at Blake.

"Oh my god, you are perverted!" Blake snapped. "I'm not doing any of that with _you!_ " With that she stormed off, trying to find someone who would make sense.

Neo sighed, and buried her face in a palm. These Beacon students were _dumb._


	3. The Last to Know

**A/N: I'm sorry guys. I know this one isn't up to scratch, but I just couldn't get the ideas to work as well as I would have liked. I offer you this piece all the same, and two omakes to make up for it. Next week's chapter should be better.**

 **As always, RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth. Thanks as always to those wonderful people who reviewed, favourited and/or followed this story, and special mention as always to Linira, who helps me with ideas and concepts.**

 **Hope you like it, guys.**

* * *

 **The Last to Know**

It wasn't that Weiss disliked Yang, Per se. In fact, lately she had found the golden-haired fighter had more depth than she had first thought, proving to be more than a playful thug and actually being relatively tolerable.

However, no matter what she was, what she _wasn't_ was Weiss' partner. She hadn't studied with Ruby for just over a week, and Yang hadn't spent any time with Blake for a similar amount of time.

On top of that, Weiss realised it was starting to get difficult to even talk to her partner about classwork. What made matters worse was the fact that Weiss couldn't even speak to Ruby alone about her concerns - wherever Ruby was, Blake was too. The pair seemed to be inseparable these days, which was bizarre considering how much the faunus girl loved her privacy and space.

Another thing that had been more of an issue than Weiss expected, was that Ruby no longer even tried to hug the heiress after a particularly good team sparring match. Granted, Weiss hated personal contact with a passion, but that had never stopped Ruby constantly trying to win her over with hugs before.

Until recently, that is. Now, after every such occasion the younger girl ran straight to Blake, who seemed oddly willing to return said physical contact.

The heiress sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. Something was going on, something that she didn't know about, and she felt it was beginning to have an impact on the team. She needed to speak to Ruby, and soon.

Yang looked up from the essay she'd been writing for Grimm studies, her brow furrowed with sudden concern. While the two didn't always get along, Yang still considered the heiress to be a friend of sorts - and apart from that, she was still her team-mate.

"Something wrong, Weiss?" The blonde's tone was light and cheerful, as always, but that seemed to aggravate the smaller girl further.

"No, you dolt!" Weiss snapped, immediately regretting it. She sighed again, changing her tone before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, that was...uncalled for. I'm just worried about Ruby, that's all."

"How so?" Yang turned on her bed, remaining cross-legged but facing Weiss - or at least, as much as she could when Weiss was a few feet lower. It seemed Beacon wasn't in a hurry to replace the bed that was ruined just over a week previously.

"How long has it been since either of us saw our partners individually? Ruby and Blake are always studying together, sparring together, and generally acting as if we are not involved. It's putting pressure on us, and I don't think it's acceptable."

Yang blinked at her. It didn't seem possible, but the proof was there - Weiss actually had _no idea_ that Ruby and Blake were dating. Somehow, that piece of information had escaped the heiress' notice.

"Oh, that," Yang said nonchalantly, and turned back to her work. "Yeah, they've been dating for just over a week now."

" _What?!_ " Weiss almost shrieked, and Yang looked at her in confusion.

"It's been over a week, Weiss, how-"

"No-one told me! How could no-one tell me? What do they think they're doing? This is completely unacceptable!" The heiress knew she was being unreasonable, but the news had taken her completely by surprise, and she was just as annoyed at herself for having missed the obvious as she was at everyone else for not telling her.

"Seriously Weiss, it's not that big a deal-"

"'Not that big a deal'?" Weiss echoed derisively. "It's a _very_ big deal! It's a _massive_ deal!" She threw her pen down with a sound of disgust, got up and headed to the dorm room door.

"I'm going to the library," She told Yang, her tone more defeated this time, and stormed out of the room.

"Well," Yang said to the empty room, "that was a thing."

* * *

 **Omake #1 - Holy shit, it's catching!**

Everything had been fine. She could tolerate Ruby showering Blake with affection. The younger girl was overly-affectionate all the time anyway, so it was to be expected. She could just about tolerate Ruby kissing the faunus girl.

It became an issue when she saw Blake, a normally reserved and taciturn individual, _show Ruby affection in return._

The other three girls looked at Weiss in confusion as the heiress crawled into the furthest corner of the room, dragging her duvet with her which she pulled up around her nose.

"Uh...Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"Don't come near me!" the heiress shouted. "It's clearly spreading!"

Yang laughed at the smaller girl's behaviour. "What's spreading? No-one's got-"

"Whatever it is _she_ has!" she yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Ruby. "She's got some vile affliction, and now she's passed it to Blake!"

Blake suddenly figured out what she was worried about.

"It's just affection, Weiss," she told the heiress reassuringly. "It happens when two people are _dating._ " She emphasised the last word, as if the act of emphasis would make Weiss understand the concept.

"So _you_ say," Weiss said defensively. "But how do _I_ know you aren't just saying that, that your mind isn't being controlled by this affliction?"

"Are you going to stay there forever?" Ruby asked her, and Weiss shook her head.

"No, just until you two stop being so... _mushy._ "

"So...you'll be there forever, then," Blake stated, flashing a loving smile at her girlfriend.

The others were silent for a few moments, until Weiss said what they were all thinking.

"Daaaaang."

* * *

 **Omake #2 - Weiss-Cream sundae**

Weiss stood in the library, next to the last person she ever thought she would be telling her problems to. At least the shorter girl didn't interrupt, although it meant she was terrible at offering advice.

"So, there's the problem," Weiss said, after finishing her tale of woe. "I really need to talk to them, or at least just Ruby, but it's become so hard these days."

Neo thought for a moment. She had to admit, it was hardly her area of expertise, so she fell back on the one piece of advice she was sure would help.

She made an 'O' shape with her right-hand thumb and forefinger, and moved her other forefinger in and out of the circle. She shrugged afterwards, and smiled.

"I'm...not sure what that's meant to mean."

Neo sighed. Why did this _always_ happen to her?

She made some lewd motions with her hips, and pointed furiously at Weiss. That worked last time. Sort of.

 _Shit, no it didn't,_ she told herself, but it was too late now.

Weiss looked horrified.

"You want me to do...that...with _you?_ "

Neo buried her face in her palm. _Beacon student,_ she thought, and not for the first time. _They are so. Fucking. Dumb._

Neo threw her arms up in exasperated surrender, and nodded. Her expression suggested she'd had enough, which was accurate.

She wasn't prepared for Weiss grabbing her wrist and leading her out of the library.

"It's just this once and no-one _ever_ hears about this," she told the mute girl imperiously.

Neo smiled, and allowed herself one cheerful thought.

 _Daaaaang._


	4. The kiss is in the chemicals

**A/N: Well, I told you this week's would be better. As far as I'm concerned, this is a vast improvement over last week's chapter. I hope you'll agree.**

 **Massive shout out to Linira, who basically wrote the kissing scene for me. I added to it a little, but virtually all of what appears in that scene is him. Thanks man.**

 **Also, thanks to all of you who review, fave and follow this story. The support is greatly appreciated. I write this for you guys.**

 **I don't own RWBY, etc.**

* * *

 **The kiss is in the chemicals**

Blake was unsure exactly what to think. This situation was not one she was used to.

It had been two months since the Night of the Falling Bed, or as Blake thought of it, the Best Night Ever (So Far.) Despite a new bed for Ruby finally being put into the dorm, it mostly went unused - Blake and Ruby were often found curled up with each other in Blake's bed, their relationship becoming closer as time went on.

The 'situation' that she wasn't used to stemmed from that. This had been the longest caring relationship she'd had since...she couldn't even remember when, and at some point recently she had discovered her feelings had changed.

She was utterly in love with Ruby.

She was now in a position where she wanted to step up their relationship, but that had it's own special set of issues, the most important one being Ruby's age. With Ruby still only fifteen, there were limits as to what they could do to move their relationship forward without a) breaking several laws, b) being considered perverted and c) incurring the very fatal wrath of a certain blonde brawler, whose losses of temper tended to be somewhat explosive. The problem was that she wanted Ruby. She loved the smaller girl fiercely, and she was physically attracted to her as well as emotionally. There just didn't seem to be anything she could do about that, and she didn't even know if Ruby felt he same way.

At least this time, Blake's friends were easier to find, so she could at least talk it over somehow.

"I guess I'm just at a bit of a loss," she told Weiss, despite the white-haired girl's clear intent to continue studying. "What do you think I should do?"

The heiress sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She obviously wasn't going to get any work done while Blake was fretting.

"Blake...I really don't know," Weiss told her bluntly. "It isn't exactly my area of expertise. Maybe you should talk to Yang, or failing that, maybe...I don't know, Coco?"

Blake shook her head. Neither of those options seemed particularly appealing.

"First of all, I don't think Yang wants to hear how much I want her sister, and secondly I don't really know Coco well enough to discuss my personal life with her." She sighed and put her face in her hands. She had just been about to say something more to Weiss, when a familiar laugh nearby caused her to look up and find the source of the sound.

On a table not far behind where Weiss and Blake were sitting, team JNPR had set up to study. Or, pretend to study, in three out of four cases. Jaune was 'studying' his latest comic issue, Pyrrha was attempting to study while studying Jaune, and Nora was studying the best shape for a paper aeroplane.

Nora. Nora would be almost ideal. Sort of.

More help than Weiss, at least, and definitely not as homicidal as Yang.

"Maybe I'll go ask Nora," she said, getting up from her seat.

"That would probably be best," Weiss replied, returning to her work.

* * *

"What'cha readin', sis?"

Yang had just returned from a long stint at the gym, and she was surprised to find Ruby sat on Blake's bed, a magazine resting on her knees. It wasn't where she was sat that was surprising - since they'd started dating, Ruby often found more comfort sitting on Blake's bed, as if being there could bring her physically closer to the faunus when she wasn't actually in the room.

What was surprising was that Ruby was reading a brightly-coloured magazine, a far cry from the usual darker tones of the weapon magazines she usually favoured.

Ruby shuffled over, moving closer to the wall, trying unsuccessfully to be subtle in concealing the magazine from her sister.

"Nothin' much," she replied sheepishly, and went back to reading. Yang bent over to try and see the cover, and Ruby shifted away again, at which point Yang snatched the magazine from her knees, much to her sister's alarm and embarrassment.

Yang scanned headline of the article Ruby had been reading, and raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"'Twenty ways to make him want you'? Somethin' you wanna talk about, sis?"

"No!" Ruby cried, diving for the magazine and missing it completely. "Not with you, anyway," she added, from her new position on the floor.

"Hey, if you wanted tips or anything, you only had to ask," Yang told her, smiling affectionately at the diminutive girl. "Same as if you want to borrow my-"

She stopped, and tried to suppress a laugh. She had thought the magazine was hers, until she saw the little white label on the back that stated "property of Weiss Schnee."

"Don't. Say. A word," Ruby warned, finally getting to her feet. "Weiss let me borrow it on the condition that no-one else knows she has it."

Yang tried to act indifferent, but the hurt puppy look that Ruby had perfected over twelve years of practice made her relent.

"Okay, fine, I won't say anything." She put an affectionate arm around her sister's shoulders, pulling her close. "But seriously sis, if you wanna talk about something, you know I'm here for you."

Ruby took a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, actually..."

* * *

"-I'm just wondering where we can go from here," Blake told the short redhead, suprised that she had remained attentive throughout their conversation. "I thought you might know if there was something I hadn't thought of."

Almost immediately, Nora replied.

"Have you guys made out yet?"

"W-what?"

"Y'know, made out? Kissed passionately, like they do in the movies, or your books?"

 _Great, does_ everyone _know what I read now?_ Blake thought bitterly, but the question Nora had asked actually made Blake think.

So far, every kiss that she and Ruby had shared had been innocent and chaste. Understandable, since this was likely Ruby's first serious relationship, but it made Blake wonder once again if Ruby truly wanted the same things she did.

Blake toyed nervously with the small silver 'B' on her necklace, one of the first gifts she'd ever received from her girlfriend, frowning in thought, until Nora interrupted her reverie.

"I'm gonna take your silence as a 'no'," she said, smirking at the taller girl. "So, that's your answer! It's not overly sexual, so you avoid any threats of death or arrest, but it's a step up from where you are already!"

Blake's eyes widened in realisation.

"Nora. You are a _genius_ ," she said, pulling out her scroll to send Ruby message. "Thanks Nora, you've been a really big help." She waved absently to the redhead as she began hurrying off. She had to find somewhere quiet, where she could talk to Ruby without being interrupted.

"Yes. Yes I am," the small redhead told the empty air, before skipping back to her team.

* * *

"-you just to be honest with her, that's all," Yang was telling her sister-, and Ruby 's cheeks reddened.

"But what if it makes her not...y'know, want to be with me anymore?" She looked so heartbroken at the thought, Yang instinctively hugged her.

"I know that won't happen, sis," she said cheerfully. "I've seen you guys together, and she really cares about you. Honestly, I don't think I've seen her smile so much!"

"I hope so, I mean she-" In typical fashion her scroll bleeped at her, cutting off her sentence to announce its message with technological impudence. She opened the device, growing nervous when she saw it was from Blake.

 _Meet me in locker room. It's important. Xx_

The terse message worried her even more, but then...she wouldn't have added the kisses if there was anything wrong, so...

"'m going to meet Blake," she muttered to her sister, her heart leaping into her throat at the prospect of what this talk was going to involve.

"Remember what I said sis, just be honest. She'll appreciate it a lot more."

"Thanks Yang. I'll try keep that in mind."

* * *

Blake had chosen her place well. At this time of day, any sparring matches were done, so no-one was using the locker rooms for at least the next two hours. Ruby walked slowly around the large room, trying to find her girlfriend while also trying to keep her heartbeat within normal ranges.

Both tasks were proving difficult.

"Hey Ruby."

The smaller girl squeaked in alarm as she spun around, feeling a flush of both relief and fear as she saw Blake at last.

"B-Blake, you scared me...um...is-is everything ok?"

Blake could see that the younger girl was afraid, most likely of what this conversation was about, so the first thing she did was wrap her arms around her girlfriend in a tender embrace. There was only a slight hesitation before Ruby reciprocated, and Blake could feel the worry bleeding out of her as she relaxed into the hug. Just as they separated, Blake pulled her into a soft kiss, partly as additional placation and partly - mostly - because she wanted to.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," she told Ruby as they pulled away at last. "I just...I wanted to talk. About us."

Ruby swallowed nervously, then swallowed again when it was clear the first time didn't help.

"O-Okay, um...what about?"

Blake took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the question she was about to ask. _It shouldn't be this hard,_ she thought idly, then finally asked it.

"Do you want me?" _Dammit, every time, it never comes out right..._

"W-what? I-I don't, um..." Ruby's voice trailed off as she blushed bright red.

"S-sorry, I just mean...Ruby, I want to be with you. I _want_ you, in ways I probably shouldn't, given your age, but...I'm in love with you, Ruby. I want us to move our relationship forward, but I need to know you feel the same...or don't."

Ruby's jaw worked silently, as her brain tried to process a lot of surprising information in a short space of time. Not only was Blake admitting to a strong physical desire for her, but she said she was _in love_ with her! No one outside of family had ever told Ruby they loved her, but she found it perfectly described what she herself had been feeling for Blake lately.

"Blake, I...I love you too, and I want us to move forward too," she said, not noticing Blake's sigh of relief. "But...I don't know how." Her blush darkened at that, and she stared at her shoes to try and hide her embarrassment.

"Then let me show you."

Ruby looked up at her girlfriend, meeting those captivating pools of amber and seeing the depthless love behind them.

Ruby nodded at last, looking resolutely into Blake's eyes. Blake stroked Ruby's cheek before pressing their lips together, ignoring the sudden flash of apprehension. She let her tongue poke at Ruby's lips, and the younger girl opened her mouth to allow her entry. She had time to note Ruby's taste, a strangely spicy mix of sugar and strawberry before the younger girl whimpered.

Blake drew back, eye's widening in concern, but Ruby's hands balled themselves up in her hair and pulled her back in.

Ruby was fully in control this time, clumsily pushing her tongue into Blake's mouth and putting a clear effort into showing the larger girl her affection. The awkwardness of Ruby's kiss made it slightly rough, but Blake couldn't have cared less. She pulled Ruby as close as she could, both hands on her girlfriend's cheeks, weeks of pent-up desire fuelling the passion for both of them.

After what felt like an eternity and a split second all at once, the two finally parted, Blake's hands still caressing Ruby's face, and Ruby's hand still resting at the back of Blake's head. Blake rested her forehead against Ruby's, panting from breathlessness and mild arousal.

"That...was amazing," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"R-really?" Ruby sounded surprised, and yet pleased at the same time. Blake opened her eyes, staring into Ruby's argent depths.

"Definitely," she breathed, and Ruby responded by pulling Blake closer.

"Well...practice makes perfect," she added with a grin, before their lips met again.

Blake was not about to refuse. As far as she was concerned, Ruby could do this as often as she wanted.

She wasn't aware of the fact that Ruby intended to do just that from now on.


End file.
